All About Skin Care: Collagen & Peptides

Skin is made up mostly of collagen; it is the foundation that gives your skin its support and thickness. Young people have lots of collagen, taut, & smooth skin. In contrast, older people have less collagen and thin, wrinkled skin.

Collagen is protein and is made up long chains of amino acids strung together, like chains of linked building blocks. When it is broken down, short segments of 3-5 amino acids form, called peptides. Peptides are not just junk collagen; these “mini proteins” are active molecules and thats why you pay a more for them in your wrinkle cream or eye creams.

One way to improve winkles and to make you look younger is to replace lost collagen. When collagen breaks down, it forms specific peptides. These peptides act as a signal to tell your skin it was damaged and to make new collagen.
Applying peptides directly to your skin is a way to trick your skin into thinking that it has lost collagen recently and needs to make more.

A well performing peptide can be extremely valuable and offer many anti-aging benefits. The best peptides tend to stimulate more rapid turnover of skin cells and result in much younger and healthier looking skin. Advantages of some of the most beneficial peptides include:

Increase collagen production
Regulate the breaking down of collagen
Encourage antioxidant enzymes
Improve cellular repair
Even out pigmentation
Offer antimicrobial protection

Ok How to increase collagen?

Let's start with not loosing it! Always use a broad spectrum sunscreen 30 spf. Put it by your tooth brush so you will remember to put it on. UVA & UVB rays break down collagen and cause early signs of aging.
Have professional skin care treatments. Have Facials performed @ 4 week intervals, your esthetician will recommend what treatments would benefit your skin. As well as providing services that stimulate collagen production.
Eat dark leafy greens they are packed with nutrients for your skin.
Add antioxidants from food sources as well as topical skin care treatments for home care. Take a daily multivitamin.

One of the reasons eye creams and serums are more expensive are because the molecules are smaller so they penetrate easier. These products are full of peptides, plant stem cells, antioxidants, AHA's, and sometimes retinol's. Most of the time they have added ingredients for moisture retention and regulation as well.

I use a great serum, repair cream, and eye cream that is packed with peptides! Image Skin Care has one of the best skin care lines for aging skin!